Books on Health, Fitness, and Nutrition. What are the best books on fitness and nutrition?
Here we recommend the 15 best Fitness and Nutrition Books to Read in 2023.
Our bodies can be active and healthy! It's all due to nutrition! Various nutrients make up our body, allowing our body to function!
Nutrition is the most important thing in fitness and training! Whether you want to increase muscle, lose fat, or improve athletic performance! All need to understand the most basic nutritional knowledge! To help you educational books on fitness and nutrition achieve your goals better!
This is a saying that has been circulating for a long time in the fitness industry. What you eat is more important than what you practice. At the end of the bodybuilding competition, everyone exercises the same movements and weights. At this time, it depends on the diet.
15 Best Fitness and Nutrition Books to Read in 2023
There are many best books about nutrition and fitness of this type in bookstores. You can read more and choose the one that suits you best. It is still too one-sided to listen to others’ introductions.
For example, everyone’s tastes are different. You can eat nutritious and healthy and satisfy your taste. it's the best.
As long as you take it slowly and persevere step by step, it will have a very good effect on weight loss and health. Try not to do strenuous exercise on an empty stomach as much as possible for fitness, and it is not advisable to exercise immediately after a meal, which will affect your health, and suggest you best books on nutrition and healthy eating.
But everyone, pay attention that everyone who hasn't seen these best fitness and nutrition books can read them, or they will definitely gain from reading them. Sometimes when I read a book alone, I often don’t understand what’s going on or misunderstand the content.
This requires a process of accumulation. And, are these 15 best books to learn about fitness and nutrition 100% good and perfect? No book is like this.
The books I recommend will also have some flaws in some places. Almost all 15 Best Books on Fitness and Nutrition are inevitable, but on the whole, most of the content is okay.
Related Topics:
- The 15 Best Books on Fitness and Nutrition
- 15 Best Books on Healthcare Policy to Read
- 10 Best Healthy Living and Wellness Books to Read
- How to Improve Your Walking Technique and Posture
1. Functional Anatomy
2. Muscle Strength Test
In addition, this book can also be used to assist in the understanding of sports anatomy. For example, when we do a freehand test, how to isolate a muscle from a certain muscle group is also good for guiding training.
3. Therapeutic Exercise
Exercise therapy is originally a large category, including aerobic, cardiopulmonary, neuromuscular control, and so on. The evidence-based work of this book is also doing well. In addition, the theoretical explanation is meticulous and clinical, and it is very smooth and natural to read carefully.
4. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Medicine
The advantage is that the things mentioned are very detailed, but the disadvantage is that the content is not very comprehensive.
5. The Physiology of the Joints
6. Clinical Kinesiology and Anatomy
7. NSCA Strength and Fitness Training
The advantage of this book is that the content is very comprehensive, but it is not very in-depth. So it is very suitable for getting started in fitness to learn. Evidence-based aspects are also okay, but some places are not deep enough.
8. Nutrition
The 13th edition has more content, and the style is still easy to talk about. The advantage is that it is popular and comprehensive, but the disadvantage is a bit verbose.
9. Basic Biomechanics of the Musculoskeletal System
10. Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism
I have not paid attention to it. It mainly talks about the metabolism of nutrients, which is more in-depth, and suitable for students who like to pick up content.
11. Wardlaw's Perspectives in Nutrition
It is normal that there are errors in some places. Full-color pages, the disadvantage is that they are heavy.
12. Krause's Food & the Nutrition Care Process
The content is very comprehensive, and some places are relatively in-depth. The disadvantage is also very heavy, and it is very tiring to read.
13. Biomechanical Systems Technology
14. ACSM's Foundations of Strength Training and Conditioning
15. Ernährungsstrategien in Kraftsport und Bodybuilding
I haven't read it yet, but overall it feels good. The books written by Germans speak very rigorously but are a bit convoluted (the German humanistic style is always the case).
When reading this book, students with poor basic knowledge must pay attention word by word, bit by bit. If you read this book carelessly, it is likely to cause misunderstanding. Part of the content must be read before and after, in order to understand the author's true intentions.
Other similar books: Best Books on Fitness and Nutrition for 2023
such as basic nutrition, practical nutrition, clinical nutrition, and other books can be read. The "Basic Nutrition", "Sports Nutrition", and "Disease Nutrition" I personally compiled are designed for beginners. If you are interested, it is recommended to buy a reading.
Of course, it is important not to be led by books for extensive research.
You must think, you must think, don’t eat "fast food", eat "fast food"-style reading books, you will definitely get the hormonal disease, you can see that the meat is not real when you look at the animals that are 3 months old, but why don’t you know that you eat it yourself "Fast food" books are also not real? The
introduction of books is almost done, and there are some hype books, which are fast food-style books. Are you tired? If you don't introduce them, it saves you not thinking.
Stay away from "fast food and spend more time reading books that you can understand after thinking about them.
You May Also Like: Best Books on Fitness and Nutrition for 2023
- Fitness Nutrition: The Ultimate Fitness Guide: Health, Fitness, Nutrition, and Muscle Building - Lose Weight and Build Lean Muscle.
- Best Sellers in Nutrition.
Basic knowledge of nutrition for fitness
Three times in my day, what to eat in the morning, what to eat at noon, and what to eat at night. This is not a joke. For the trainer, it happens to be a very serious headache problem.
Everyone knows to have a balanced diet, but does the general public really know the sources of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and trace elements? Even in universal cognition, "eating meat" is equivalent to "eating protein."
This article will analyze the basics of nutrition, as well as the three major nutritional element intake references for different exercise habits and target groups.
Diet evaluation and recording
Recall your diet list for the first 1-3 days. Write down your dietary preferences (such as meat, pasta, etc.), foods you don’t like, a list of snacks, etc.
Drinks and supplements also need to be included.
Food diversity
We are familiar with the "Food Pyramid", which gives daily recommended foods and portions. Divided into:
- Bread, cereals, rice, pasta, etc.
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Milk, yogurt, and cheese
- Meat, poultry, fish, dried beans, eggs, and nuts
We encourage diversity and balance of food. Foods with similar nutrients in the same group can be interchanged, but not between groups.
Meat mainly provides protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin B. Fruits and vegetables provide vitamin C, β-carotene, etc. Bread and cereals provide riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, and so on.
Energy
We use kilocalories to express the magnitude of energy. 1 kcal is equal to the heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1 degree Celsius. The caloric unit of food is a calorie.
There are three parts that make up human energy requirements: basal metabolism, activity metabolism, and food heat. Each factor will be affected by age, gender, height, weight, body composition, environmental temperature, training situation, physical activity, etc.
Basic metabolism accounts for about 60%-70% of daily energy expenditure. It is the energy needed to maintain the body (the normal functioning of the organs). Basic metabolism will be affected by body lean body mass (muscle content), growth and development, menstrual cycle, thyroid abnormalities, and so on.
The energy required for physical activity is affected by training intensity, training time, training frequency, and ambient temperature.
The heat effect of food is the energy needed for food to absorb and consume. It is about 7%-10% of the total energy.
Protein
For resistance trainers, protein is one of the important sources of nutrients and an important intake element for increasing strength, endurance, and speed.
There are two sources of protein, one is animal protein, which comes from cattle, sheep, poultry, fish, etc. The other is vegetable protein, which comes from beans, nuts, staple foods (small amounts), and vegetables (small amounts).
The content of plant protein is lower than that of animal protein sources of the same quality. For example, the protein content of 100g of soybeans is lower than 100g of chicken breast.
The amino acids in proteins are important components for the construction of human tissues. From our muscles, organs, and bones, to some enzymes, antibodies, etc., protein can be found.
Therefore, adequate protein intake is very important for maintaining body functions.
The daily protein requirement of an average person is 0.8g/kg body weight, that is, 0.8 times body weight (kg) is the number of grams of protein needed in a day.
The demand for resistance trainers can reach 1.8g/kg body weight and for endurance trainers 1.5-2.0g/kg body weight. Vegetarians or people with low-carb diets need more protein to supplement calories.
Excessive protein intake (more than 4g/kg body weight) is not necessary for people with poor kidney function. But for normal people, a large amount of protein intake has not been found to have an impact on body functions, but excess calories will also be used to store energy.
Protein Quality
There are 20 kinds of amino acids in the human body, of which 9 kinds of the human body cannot produce, which are called essential amino acids. The non-essential amino acids that the human body can produce on its own are called non-essential amino acids.
We not only need to consume enough protein but also high-quality protein containing all the essential amino acids in order to get adequate nutrition.
High-quality protein, including animal Lacto-egg fish, and plant-based soybeans.
As the ratio of plant-based proteins and amino acids is generally insufficient in quality, vegetarians need to be very careful and consume a variety of plant-based proteins to obtain complete amino acids.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are needed in the process of fatty acid metabolism (fat reduction). The carbohydrate intake depends on the exercise style of the trainer.
In high-intensity exercise, carbohydrates are used to supplement the consumption of liver glycogen and muscle glycogen.
If you are an endurance trainer (aerobic time greater than 90 minutes), the recommended carbohydrate intake is 10g/kg body weight. For resistance trainers, an intake of 5-6g/kg per day is sufficient. If the goal is to reduce weight, the amount of carbohydrates is even lower.
Sugars are commonly known as carbohydrates. Carbohydrates include common starches and various sugars, which are nutrients that our bodies love to use.
In daily life, we burn sugar and fat as fuel. When exercising, we need glycogen in the muscles to train muscles. When the heart and lungs are aerobic, we need sugar to help burn fat, which is very useful.
But also because it is so easy to use, it is not easy for the body to store it. When too much intake is taken, the body will be converted into fat, put in the warehouse, and become the fat on our belly.
Eating too little can cause problems and affect metabolism! The harm of a low-carb diet!
It is generally recommended that sugar intake accounts for 50-60% of all calories, and mainly complex sugars, such as brown rice and whole grains, etc. Of course, there are many special diets that will reduce sugar intake, so I will not introduce them here.
Fat
The human body has a very low demand for food fat. The daily intake of fat calories for adults is not less than 15% of the total energy, and for pregnant women is not less than 20%.
Beneficial fats come from deep-sea fish, animal fats, dairy products, nuts, olive oil, plant seeds, etc.
Fat is the treasure house of the body's stored calories. As long as the calories eaten are not used up, fat will be generated, and it will live in our stomachs, which is what everyone hates most.
Fat actually has many functions, including protecting the internal organs, helping the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), and producing various hormones. It is still very important and cannot be completely absent.
In fact, everyone is more concerned about the problem of excessive fat. In addition to the unsightly meat on the belly and thighs, fat is closely related to cardiovascular diseases and chronic diseases.
It is generally recommended that fat intake does not exceed 30% of total calories. It also needs omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids,
Moreover, vegetable oils are healthier because they contain more unsaturated fatty acids. Deep-sea fish, nuts, etc. are also good sources of fat.
Look here for the muscle-building buddies
Every 1 pound (0.45kg) of lean body weight requires an additional 2500 calories. In resistance training, an extra 350-700 calories a day can meet the energy needs of increasing lean body weight by 1-2 pounds per week.
It is recommended to eat 4-5 meals a day, with more food for each meal.
For fat-reducing friends, look here
Daily intake of calories is less than total energy, which can reduce weight. Losing 1-2 pounds of body weight per week means that the daily calorie gap is 500-1000 calories. For example, if a trainer's total daily energy (calculated in the above section) is 2500 calories, then 2,000 calories of food per day can help her lose about 1 pound a week.
Users who lose weight should choose low-GI foods, low-calorie, unprocessed foods, which can help control hunger and reduce calorie intake.
Many dietary methods, such as low-carb, high-fat, high-protein, skipping lunch, etc., have different effects for everyone. If there is no change in body weight for 2-3 weeks, it is time to consider whether to adjust the training plan and diet.
Understanding fitness and nutrition
Some people always say that I don’t grow meat when I eat. I don’t care about disease. Actually, it doesn’t exist. If you want to keep fit, you still need to understand some principles of nutrition. Today, I will summarize these positions.
First of all, we need to know the dietary causes of obesity:
Total intake is greater than total consumption
Comparing the body to a reservoir, the energy taken in is injected water, the energy consumed is discharged water, and the height of the water level in the pool represents body weight.
- Weight increases when total intake: total consumption of reasonable training, diet, and rest make the weight gain more muscle. If the intake is only large, the weight gain is basically fat.
- The total intake and total consumption are basically the same, so the weight will basically not change
- Weight loss and fat reduction when total intake: total consumption is actually used to create a calorie gap, allowing fat decomposition to provide energy to make up for this gap. Except for obese people who lose weight, after many lean people gain muscle and reach their ideal weight, they have to go through a fat-loss period if they want eight-pack abs. Is it better to eat less or not to eat?? Although this creates a large calorie gap, long-term hungry is harmful to the stomach and intestines. Secondly, it consumes protein (the main component of muscle ). The decrease in muscle content leads to a decrease in basal metabolic rate, which makes it easy to accumulate fat and regain weight. Without sufficient energy supply, even work and normal life cannot be completed, let alone exercise. In the end, my confidence was also hit, and I had no hope of reducing fat.
How do be full and consume fewer calories?
It's actually very simple. Choose foods with low calories and slower digestion.
The science of starch
Starch is divided into amylose and amylopectin. Because of the different molecular structures, amylose is relatively difficult to digest and absorb, while amylopectin is easily digested and absorbed. Common amylopectin, such as rice noodles, is digested and absorbed faster. , While whole grains contain more cellulose (dietary fiber). Dietary fiber is one of the seven nutrients and has no calories. Therefore, when there is more cellulose in food, the food is digested and absorbed more slowly. For weight gain, you should take in as many calories as possible, eat more rice noodles, and supplement with coarse grains.
Protein selection
Naturally, protein does not need to be said. Healthy muscles are composed of about 73% water and 27% protein. What many people don’t know is that protein also prolongs your feeling of fullness, because hunger is one of the main reasons for eating, and it can increase the heat effect of food, which means that food needs calories when it is digested and absorbed by the body. Yes, the right amount of protein can increase the calories needed to digest food.
Eggs are the cheapest food with the highest absorption rate. In addition, beef, lamb, tenderloin, river prawns, and fish are all good sources of protein, but foods with high protein content are generally expensive.
Vitamin intake
In the process of fat reduction, the choice of vegetables can be free. The focus is not to consider the calories of the vegetables, but the types and cooking methods. The intake of various vitamins should be comprehensive, which can enhance resistance. To allow a cold to take advantage of the deficiency.
The following are the main food sources of various vitamins:
The main food sources of fat-soluble vitamins:
- Vitamin A is mainly found in animal liver and egg yolk, and beta-carotene has good content in carrots
- Vitamin D is mainly found in cod liver oil, marine fish, animal liver, and egg yolk
- Vitamin E is mainly found in oils, egg yolks, and beans
- Vitamin K is mainly found in meat, animal liver, milk, tomatoes
The main food sources of water-soluble vitamins:
- Vitamin B1 is mainly found in refined grains, seeds, beans, nuts, and lean meat
- Vitamin B2 is mainly found in milk, eggs, meat, cereals, vegetables, and fruits
- Vitamin B6 is mainly found in white meat, liver, beans, and egg yolk
- Vitamin B12 is mainly found in internal organs, meat, and fish
- Vitamin C is mainly found in fresh vegetables and fruits
- Indispensable for minerals (inorganic salts)
Here are a few more important ones
- Sodium: Table salt is the main source, 6g a day is enough, about a teaspoon, too much sodium intake will increase the body's water content.
- Calcium: 800 mg per day for adults, the intake should be up to standard, which can be obtained from dairy products, soy products, and dried shrimp.
- Potassium: Potassium will be lost a lot during exercise. Many vegetables and fruits contain it. Do not eat canned and frozen vegetables and fruits. This will cause a large loss of potassium.
- Magnesium: The main sources are green vegetables, seafood, dried beans, coarse grains, and nuts.
